Use of glatiramer acetate (copolymer 1) in the treatment of central nervous system disorders

Abstract

The present invention involves the administration of Copolymer 1 (glatiramer acetate) to treat inflammatory, non-autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) diseases, alleviate the symptoms thereof, inhibit the activity of matrix metalloproteinases and suppress cytokine production by T lymphocytes.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of treating a mammalian subject having an inflammatory, non-autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disease, or alleviating the symptoms of such a disease, comprising administering glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) to the subject in an amount and for a duration of time effective to treat the inflammatory, non-autoimmune CNS disease.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mammalian subject is human.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is Alzheimer's Disease.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is Parkinson's Disease.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is HIV encephalopathy.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is a brain tumor.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is glaucoma.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is neuropathy or dementia.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is a CNS infection.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the CNS infection is a bacterial infection.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the bacterial infection is meningitis.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease results from stroke.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease results from head trauma.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the route of administration is oral, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, transdermal, nasal or rectal.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the route of administration is oral.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the route of administration is subcutaneous injection.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered ranges from about 0.05 mg/kg of body weight to about 50 mg/kg of body weight.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered ranges from about 0.1 mg/kg of body weight to about 10 mg/kg of body weight.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered ranges from about 0.1 mg/kg of body weight to about 1.0 mg/kg of body weight.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered is about 0.3 mg/kg of body weight.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered ranges from about 0.1 mg to about 1000 mg.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered ranges from about 1.0 mg to about 100 mg.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered ranges from about 10 mg to about 30 mg.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) administered is about 20 mg.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) is administered at a frequency of about once every 30 days to about once every day.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) is administered at a frequency of about once every 7 days to about once every day.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the dose of glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) is administered at a frequency of about once every day.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) is administered as part of a therapeutic regimen during which a cytokine antagonist is also administered to the subject.  
     
     
         29 . A method of treating a mammalian subject at risk of developing an inflammatory, non-autoimmune CNS disease comprising administering glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) to the subject in an amount and for a duration of time effective to minimize the severity of the inflammatory, non-autoimmune CNS disease that may occur in the subject or prevent its occurrence.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the subject is human and the risk is associated with a genetic predisposition to a chronic medical condition.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, glaucoma, dementia, neuropathy, stroke, and brain tumor.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the route of administration is oral, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, transdermal, nasal or rectal.  
     
     
         33 . A method of inhibiting the activity of a matrix metalloproteinase comprising contacting the matrix metalloproteinase with glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1).  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the matrix metalloproteinase is MMP-9.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the matrix metalloproteinase is in a subject.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the subject is human.  
     
     
         37 . A method of suppressing the production of a cytokine by activated T lymphocytes comprising contacting the activated T lymphocytes with glatiramer acetate (Copolymer 1) in an amount necessary to suppress cytokine production.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is IL-1.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is IL-4.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is IL-6.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is IL-10.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is IL-12.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is IL-13.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is TNF-α.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the cytokine is in a subject.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the subject is human.